


windows '95

by nanakomatsus



Category: NU'EST
Genre: Childhood Friends, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, implied 2hyun, implied aren, justice league appears in one scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-28
Updated: 2017-12-28
Packaged: 2019-02-23 01:27:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13179456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nanakomatsus/pseuds/nanakomatsus
Summary: Of overheard late night phone calls, casual deep talks and stolen glances into the lives of others.





	windows '95

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve been seeing a lot of those ‘they used to date but then they broke up and then got back together years later after they’d grown as people’ posts on twitter lately and let me just say that. Yes. I live for that healthy shit. Am supposed be finishing and updating my other series but lmao when do I ever so here’s a jren before 2017 ends! song lyrics are from exo's 'universe'

 

_These aren’t feelings that I can end_

_In just one day, with just one try_

 

They were six when Minki’s family had bought the only other plot of land atop the hill overlooking the small town in the summer.

 

Jonghyun would walk home from school every day for three months and watch each day as a house was being built from scratch; he watched as the workers poured cement, layered bricks, poured more cement, hammered nails, drilled holes and finally painted the whole house a pearly white with blue accents.

 

They were different from the start.

 

In fact, from what Jonghyun remembers, he didn’t like the other boy very much. Maybe it was the cold look the other had constantly put on, right from the moment his family’s Mercedes had rolled onto the fresh new driveway, and Jonghyun had instinctively stolen a glance at his family’s own ten-year-old rusty white pick-up truck. Mr. And Mrs. Choi looked kind and friendly enough, so did his elder brother, but even then, Jonghyun could feel the difference between his family and theirs.

 

They didn’t go to the same school, so they never had the chance to talk properly. Minki went to a private school, Jonghyun’s mother had told him, which basically -to Jonghyun- translated to ‘rich kids’ school’. At least, that’s what his classmates had told him.

 

(He gets what they’re saying a few days later, when it is one of those rare occasions where he sees Minki arriving home at the same time as him, dressed in a dark blue blazer with a yellow ribbon tied around his collar and black leather shoes).

 

And then Jonghyun’s mother invited them for Christmas dinner (even though they didn’t even celebrate Christmas).

 

So they sat opposite each other at the dinner table, both of them only looking down at their plates and touching nothing.

 

“Jonghyun-ah, why aren’t you eating, honey?” Mrs. Choi had inquired sweetly, giving a little smile. The small boy reddened to the same colour of the food on his place. Thankfully, his mother came to his rescue.

 

“Oh, who put tomatoes on his plate- our Jonghyun here doesn’t eat tomatoes,” she explained to their guests with a light laugh and took the fruit off his plate, replacing it with broccoli.

 

“Why don’t you eat tomatoes?” Was the first thing Minki had ever said to him in the last three months they’d been living beside each other, when they were left alone in the living room while their parents drank wine and talked about politics and their siblings were watching television upstairs.

 

Jonghyun looked up at the other boy with wide, surprised eyes, pausing his Lego construction.

 

“W-what?” Little him had sputtered. Minki stared at him impassively, quirking his head to one side.

 

“Why, don’t you eat tomatoes?” He repeated evenly, brown eyes piercing the other boy.

 

“W-well, it’s because of my sister. She made me eat too much at once when I was smaller, so I’ve hated them ever since,” Jonghyun replies softly, eyes transfixed on the yellow plastic blocks held in his hands.

 

“Oh. That’s it?”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“So, you’re scared of tomatoes because your sister made you eat a lot of them?”

 

Jonghyun blinks.

 

“I’m not scared of-”

 

“Minki! I think it’s time we head back, yeah? Although you seem to be having a great chat with little Jonghyunnie here,” Mr. Choi appears at the archway separating the dining area and the living room, smiling down at them fondly.

 

“Okay,” Minki says nonchalantly and gets up from his spot on the sofa.

 

But not before Jonghyun catches a small grin forming on the boy’s lips.

 

 

 

They are nine when Jonghyun finally gets a room to himself.

 

It’s a surprise waiting for him when he gets back home from the first day of school. His parents lead him and his sister up, giggling among themselves as they climb up the stairs to the second floor of the house. And there -what used to be a store room- is fully refurbished into a brand new bedroom for Jonghyun, walls painted a cool blue and a new video game waiting for him on his bookshelf (his sister complains, but not much because she’d been asking for their previous space all to herself anyway).

 

It is later in the night, after dinner, when he goes up to do his homework, that Jonghyun spots a glowing window directly opposite him about only twenty feet across.

 

“Hey!” he calls out, a soft smile forming on his lips. Minki looks up from his own work, confused, before his face lights up in recognition.

 

“Hi,” he replies, holding up a hand in greeting before promptly dropping it and going back to his essay. Jonghyun nods, not sure what to do next, before deciding to start on his own task quietly.

 

He’s done before Minki is -but then again, Minki doesn’t seem bothered to be doing his, anyway.

 

“Goodnight, Minki!” He greets cheerfully. The other boy looks up from his still-empty notebook, looking a little dazed before his lips quirk into a small smile.

 

“Good night, Jonghyun.”

 

It carries on like that for a few weeks before Jonghyun finally decides to do something about it.

 

One day, Minki hears a _pssst_ coming from the room opposite his. He doesn’t even have time to respond before a paper cup comes flying at him. It bounces onto his head with a dull thud and falls to his table with an even duller thud. A string is attached to the bottom. He looks down at the object in puzzlement.

 

“What do you want me to do with this?” He deadpans to his neighbour, who merely beams at him. _Pick it up,_ he mouths.

 

Hesitantly, he does as he is told, bringing the cup up to his hear.

 

“Hi, neighbour!” Comes Jonghyun’s voice, suddenly too loud compared to his usual soft tones. Minki blinks.

 

“Hi, neighbour,” he replies, a grin beginning to widen across his face.

 

“This is Commander Kim speaking, we’re under attack!” Jonghyun all but screams into the mouthpiece. But Minki doesn’t care and soon, he begins to laugh.

 

“Commander Choi here, no need to worry, back-up is being deployed as we speak!”

 

 

 

They are twelve when they coincidentally find themselves on the way home at the same time.

 

Jonghyun is too focused on his ice cream to notice the bicycle that’s been following him from behind until the ringing of a bell snaps him out of his daze.

 

“Hey,” Minki greets, pedaling beside him.

 

“Hey,” Jonghyun responds with a faint smile before continuing to savour his frozen (melting) strawberry goodness.

 

“Need a ride?”

 

Jonghyun considers for a moment before shrugging.

 

“Why not?”

 

“You need me to get off?” Jonghyun offers later.

 

Minki is in visible pain as they begin their journey up the hill. Jonghyun has the boy’s blazer tucked between his arms. His white shirt is almost completely soaked through with sweat.

 

“No, it’s okay. I’m fine,” he says through gritted teeth.

 

“You don’t seem fine. I think I’ll just get down for a bit-”

 

 _“No,”_ Minki says fiercely, butt rising from his seat as he continues onwards. Jonghyun sighs at the boy’s stubborn nature and stays in his seat.

 

It takes about fifteen minutes longer than the length of the usual hike, but they manage. Minki’s all red and looks ready to faint when they reach their homes but the glint in his eyes tells Jonghyun that the other is more than satisfied with himself. After a short breather, Minki straightens with a stifled groan and meets Jonghyun’s concerned gaze with a grin.

 

“That wasn’t so bad!” He says brightly. Jonghyun nods and shrugs and begins to turn away.

 

“If you say so.”

 

 

 

They are fourteen when loud music sends vibrations throughout both their houses.

 

Minki sits at his desk by his own window surrounded by blue walls painting his fingernails. It’s black this time; as it almost always is. Some bizarre Japanese hip-hop blares in the background.

 

A loud thud coming from the room opposite his own causes the big catastrophe on his left pinky. He lets out an exasperated sigh and snaps his head up to glare at the cause of the disruption. The music abruptly comes to stop.

 

“Kim Jonghyun, I swear on my life if you do that one more time-” he begins but is cut off by that stupid, dorky _he he he._

 

“Sorry, Minki-yah. I’ll bring back a juice box for you tomorrow, okay?” He tries with a soft chuckle, ignoring the death glares being sent his way. The other boy’s look of distaste only intensifies but he lets it drop, shaking his head and rolling his eyes before going back to work on his nails.

 

“Second time this month, Kim Jonghyun. Keep attempting those tricks in that shoddy bedroom of yours and I won’t be the one causing the injuries; you’ll be doing that to yourself,” Minki says darkly, cleaning the black mess on his hand.

 

“Ouch. It’s not good to wish bad things upon others, y’know,” Jonghyun pouts.

 

“I’m not wishing, you’re the one asking for it,” the other grumbles. There is silence before the music resumes, but softer now.

 

“You’re not serious about this dance thing, are you?” Minki asks nonchalantly. Jonghyun gives a thoughtful hum, plastering the small, red scratch on his ankle.

 

“So what if I am?”

 

“Nothing.”

 

“What do you mean nothing?”

 

“I’m not in any place to say anything about. Do whatever you want.”

 

“So you’ll support me?”

 

There is no answer but Minki hums in response, mocking him. Jonghyun lets out a breathy laugh.

 

“Thanks.”

 

* * *

 

 

_I feel it so much it hurts_

_Wherever you are, I’ll go to you_

 

Something happens about a year later.

 

Well actually, _nothing_ happens. That’s something.

 

Both of them begin to speak less, not on purpose of course.

 

Minki joins the Drama team. Jonghyun joins soccer. They both get home late in the evening. Minki eats late. Jonghyun eats early. Minki does his homework while Jonghyun has dinner and vice versa. They both fall asleep before either one of them gets the chance to speak to the other.

 

The twin cups with its string attached collects dust on Jonghyun’s shelf.

 

They drift apart naturally and by the time high school comes around, it’s almost as if they’d never known each other before.

 

* * *

 

Jonghyun’s family owns small businesses around town. Their house had been inherited from his paternal grandparents. His parents take shifts at each of their shops everyday and so does Jonghyun during the holidays. His sister is in college now.

 

Minki had moved from Seoul. His parents are lawyers. They’re never around. His brother is in college. Their house is almost always empty. Minki doesn’t go home until late at night; just as Jonghyun switches his lights off, the other boy switches his on.

 

On the weekends, they both stay home. But they keep to themselves. Minki’s windows are never open anymore. His curtains are always drawn. Jonghyun likes the breeze that washes over him in the mornings. He likes the smell of the ocean that wafts over from the other side of town.

 

 

 

“Fuck you Hyunbin and your dumbass cheat codes, I swear to God!” Seongwoo says exasperatedly, running his hand through his hair one Saturday afternoon.

 

Jonghyun thumbs through his newly-bought comic book, laying his head on Minhyun’s lap as his friend card his fingers through his hair, reading a book of his own. Daniel is still asleep between Seongwoo and Hyunbin despite the noise and ruckus. Jaehwan gives up on commentating and decides to explore.

 

A jar of _something_ on Jonghyun’s desk catches his eye. He frowns, picking it up, holding it up to the sunlight.

 

“Hey, Jonghyun! What the hell is-” he starts but is cut off by a sight.

 

Twenty feet away, right opposite them, a figure sits, back against the white window sill, long, platinum blonde hair billowing in the spring breeze. Piercing brown eyes flutter to meet his and for a moment the world stops.

 

Jaehwan sets the jar down and with a mechanical effect, turns away. He nudges Seongwoo in the elbow, who merely grunts in response, too focused on his game.

 

“What do you want, Jae? We’re nearly clearing this level-” he begins to grumble.

 

“Looktoyourleft,” Jaehwan mutters. Seongwoo shakes his head.

 

“Look to your _fucking_ left, Ong Seongwoo,” he says again, kicking his friend in the side.

 

“What the _fuck_ , Jae- Oh shit.”

 

Seongwoo rises from his seat on the floor, putting down his PSP, eyes transfixed on the window opposite theirs. The blonde boy doesn’t seem to notice the stares.

 

(Oh, but he does)

 

“Kim Jonghyun, you never told us you live twenty feet away from Choi _fucking_ Minki,” he breathes out. Jonghyun raises his eyebrows, still immersed in the zombie apocalypse held in his hands.

 

“Why? Was I supposed to?” He drawls.

 

“You live right next to one of the most beautiful people in town, in the district, in the country, the world! Of _course_ you are,” Seongwoo all but yells. It is silent for a moment. Then, they hear a light laugh.

 

“Very flattering. Thank you, Jonghyun’s friend,” Minki says, eyes alight with amusement as everyone in the whole other room bursts into laughter as their friend turns beet red.

 

 

 

“Sorry about this afternoon,” Jonghyun says later that night, as they both sit at their desks facing each other. Minki shakes his head with a small smile.

 

“’S fine. Your friends sound fun,” he replies lightly.

 

“They don’t mean any harm.”

 

“I know.”

 

There is a pause. Jonghyun takes this as an oppurtunity. He abruptly pushes his chair back and stretches towards his bookshelf, fingers getting a hold of a familiar paper object. But for some reason, he changes his mind and lets it go. It rolls back into its original place.

 

“It’s been a while, Minki-yah,” Jonghyun says. Minki smiles sadly.

 

“Yeah.”

 

A breeze passes by.

 

“How’ve you been?” Jonghyun asks. But he knows.

 

Minki isn’t like him. He almost never brings friends from school home to hang out with (he isn’t home much, anyway, so it’s understandable). But, Jonghyun remembers one time he did.

 

It must’ve been a few months ago.

 

Soccer had ended late and he’d have to get to Dance straight after dinner so he rushed. It all happened so fast. He stepped out of the shower, all wet, dug his clothes out of his wardrobe and tripped over himself multiple times trying to get them on.

 

Then, a radio crackled to life, soft music began to play. Minki’s curtains glowed yellow, just like it always had. Two silhouettes appeared and Jonghyun froze upon hearing laughter. He watched as they got closer together, like two magnets and eventually-

 

His alarm went off and he cursed, snatching up his bag and running out of the house towards the bus station. He would be late for class anyway.

 

_I won’t let go, even the smallest memories_

_Memories engraved in the seasons_

 

“Fine. What about you?” Minki responds, leaning forward and resting his chin on his study desk, a knowing smile playing on his lips. He knows, too.

 

It is one day during the previous spring when Minki catches a glance of Jonghyun smiling to himself like an idiot. A piece of paper is held between his pretty fingers.

 

Minki has never been one to be too interested in the lives of others (he’s considered a gossip rag in school when in actuality, he’s just relaying information he’s heard from various people to various other people. There’s a difference, he tells people), but it just so happens his curtain had been slightly drawn, by millimeters, but just enough to see outside.

 

So he stands there, looking through the slight crack in his fabric walls. At the boy who sits alone, giggling at a letter.

 

 

“I’m great,“ Jonghyun says. The conversation has come to a dead end. They can both feel it. After a long moment of silence, he clears his throat.

 

“It’s getting late,“ he says evenly. Minki smiles sadly at him through the dim glow of orange light.

 

“Talk soon? “ Jonghyun tries lightly. The other boy close his eyes and nods, almost absently.

 

The night is cold.

 

 

 

They don’t talk anymore after that, there’s no reason to.

 

Jonghyun doesn’t open his windows anymore either. Even when his friends come over. They stay in the living room, on the landing to the first floor.

 

When Jaehwan asks him something about Minki, all he can respond is 'I don’t know‘ and he doesn’t, he really doesn’t.

 

But then one night, many months later, Minki gets a phone call.

 

Jonghyun didn’t mean to overhear it. It was just that Minki’s window was open and so was his because it was summer. It was hot and it was _loud._

 

“What do you mean you’re going to America?“ The blonde’s voice is rising steadily as he paces his room. Jonghyun keeps his head down, focusing on his History notes.

 

“No you can’t fucking do this to me, Aron! Listen- No you fucking _listen_ to me, Youngmin. You never told me anything! I heard all this from Dongho, alright? What? You were going to tell me? When? On the day you would fly off? _Fuck you,_ Youngmin, I fucking hate you-”

 

There is a frustrated yell and the sound of plastic against concrete. And the sound of more objects being thrown against the wall, layered with frustrated shouts. And finally, a small whimper and silence.

 

A breeze passes by.

 

Minki sits on the window sill, letting the cool air mess his hair up for once (not that hadn’t already done so himself). He leans his head against the wall, eyes closed and lets out a shaky breath. Suddenly, he feels something land on his lap. He doesn’t even need to open his eyes to know what it is. His lips tug into smile and before he can stop himself, he holds the paper cup against his ear.

 

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have been listening,“ comes Jonghyun’s voice, soft and muted. The string that connects them vibrates slightly, sending the sound waves back and forth.

 

“No, it was my fault I was being a bit loud-“ Minki’s voice cracks and he feels pathetic. The silence is a short one before he clears his throat.

 

“What about you, Jonghyun? What happened to that lanky, fox-faced friend of yours?“ He asks coolly, smile widening when he sees Jonghyun’s ears go pink.

 

“What? Minhyun? No, we’re not- no, we’re just friends.“ He says quickly.

 

“Alright. Whatever you say.“

 

Pause. The tension is lighter now. Jonghyun sighs.

 

“I’m sorry, Minki that wasn’t fair of me. I- okay, I’ll tell you. We talked and decided not to be, you know, together. Not like _that._ It’s not something that would’ve worked out anyway.“

 

He’s rambling now, but Jonghyun figures that Minki deserves to know considering what he had overheard.

 

Minki hums thoughtfully.

 

“Well, we’re both screwed, aren’t we?“ He says a beat later with a little chuckle. Jonghyun finds himself smiling now, his heart light.

 

They talk into the night.

 

“Commander Kim kind of has a class to attend tomorrow. He needs to get some sleep and he thinks that Commander Choi should, too. Over.“

 

“Commander Choi agrees. Over.”

 

“Goodnight, Minki.“

 

“Goodnight, Jonghyun.“

 

The night is warm.

 

 

 

Jonghyun watches Minki break himself over and over and over again and again over the next year. And he watches Minki put himself together, paint his nails a new colour, and walk out the door with a new hairstyle every other week and pink lips tinted red.

 

Jonghyun himself is perfectly content alone. But he’s not really. His friends still come over. His window stays open. So does Minki’s, although he never actually comes over to join them.

 

Their second year of high school passes by fast. So does their third.

 

And soon it is their last summer as teenagers.

 

“Jonghyun-ah! There’s a call for you!“ His mother shouts from below.

 

“Coming!“ He calls out, jumping around with one sock on, nearly tripping over himself. He pulls his sweater on and sprints out the door and down the stairs (nearly killing himself in the process).

 

“Yes? Hello?“ He says through heavy breaths.

 

“Jonghyun? It’s Minki.“ Comes the voice on the other end of the line.

 

“Oh. Hi,“ he says dumbly after a minute of dumb silence.

 

“I’m in Seoul.“

 

“Yeah, I heard,“ He slides down against the wall to a sitting position on the hardwood floor, twirling the cable in his fingers, keeping the receiver as close as possible.

 

“I got scouted, Jonghyun.“

 

Jonghyun blinks.

 

“That’s -wow- that’s great! I’m really happy for you, Minki-yah,“ he says it and he _means_ it-

 

“I’m not coming back, Jonghyun. We’re moving back here. The moving truck’s coming tomorrow.“

 

_Oh._

 

“Oh.“

 

Minki breathes in.

 

“Tell your parents thanks, alright? We’ll try to visit when we can-“ his voice cracks but he tries to play it off as a cough.

 

“Okay.“

 

“I’ll miss you, Jonghyun.“

 

“Me too.“

 

There is a long pause. Long enough, Jonghyun thinks back, for an entire universe to be born within it. It seemed like it at the time. It still does.

 

“I love you, Jonghyun.“

 

“Me t-- “ The line goes dead.

 

* * *

 

_I will find you_

_Because that’s love_

 

The wind is cold, whipping his hair harshly against his face.

 

The pearly white-and-blue house stands strong, still well-kept and looking lived-in despite being abandoned for a decade. He wonders why his parents never sold it. By instinct, he turns his head and body to face away from the house and instead towards the town spread below him.

 

It’s still the same even after all these years. The familiar crash of the waves against the beach, the bustling of the market, the toll of the school bell.

 

The house is completely empty.

 

His shoes leave imprints on the thin layer of dust as he makes his way around.

 

The stairs creak as he walks up on autopilot mode, heading straight towards his old room.

 

The bed frame still stands. It wouldn’t get past the door, he remembers, and they couldn’t disassemble it. They had bought a new one. He leans against the window sill, looking out as a cold breeze washes over.

 

Out of the corner of his eye, he spots a child playing in the window opposite him. Legos litter the floor. The child has seemed to taken notice of him, waving at him with a yellow brick in his tiny hand.

 

“Hello, what’s your name?“ He tries with a smile. The child frowns.

 

“What did you say, ahjussi? I can’t hear you-

 

“What’s your name-“

 

“Hold on, let me get something!“ And he scrambles away. The man sighs but before he can make a decision whether to leave or not, the kid comes back with a familiar device.

 

“Ahjussi, catch this!“

 

The cup flies through the air. It won’t reach, Minki knows, but he lunges for it anyway.

 

A sharp pain stabs at his hip and he winces. His body is halfway out the window. In his hands, the paper cup is slightly crushed.

 

“Are you alright?“ Comes an older male voice. A concerned voice.  A _familiar_ voice. A voice he only hears in his dreams-

 

Slowly, wide-eyed, Minki brings the cup up to his ear and begins to look up at the owner of the voice.

 

And there standing in the window, twenty feet across, right opposite him, is Kim Jonghyun in a green wool sweater.

 

“Minki?“

 

“Hey, Jonghyun. It’s been a while,“ is all he can manage.

 

“Yeah, it has.“

 

Pause. The wind howls.

 

“You dyed your hair back.“

 

“Yeah.“

 

Pause. Jonghyun smiles.

 

“Do you want to come in for dinner?“ He begins to offer.

 

“No, I wouldn’t want to intrude on you and your family. I mean you can’t be taking care of me _and_ your kids-“

 

“ _My_ kids?“ Jonghyun laughs and there are stars in his eyes.

 

“Minki, they’re my sister’s kids.“ Minki blinks.

 

_Oh._

 

“Oh.“

 

“So, what’s it gonna be?“

 

Pause. Minki gulps and nods. Jonghyun nods too, smiling wider. The long-haired brunette begins to turn away before his neighbour’s voice rings out.

 

“Minki? Welcome home.“

 

The first snow begins to fall.

 

* * *

 

 

_Nights we dreamed of a tomorrow_

_That will shine like the stars_

 

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by tamako love story and taylor swift’s ‘you belong with me’ music video


End file.
